This work was painted outdoors near Catterline, the small fishing village south of Aberdeen where Eardley spent much of her time from the 1950s. She has heightened the sense of realism in ‘Summer Fields’ by adding grass, picked as she worked, to its surface. The land and seascape around Catterline inspired many of Eardley’s most memorable works, some of which verge on abstraction. Her expressive use of paint and warm colours combined with deep shadows evokes the summer sun on a golden crop.